In fact I sometimes wonder if Trevor does not have a very cunning game plan. So cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a fox.

He has become the de facto Opposition Leader of the House and appears to lead their parliamentary strategy.Have a look at Parliament some time and you will see Mallard working with Hughes and the Whips to decide what to do.

He also seems to be in charge of their communications, and set up Red Alert without even telling Phil Goff about it.

He is going out of his way to mentor new MPs, and often is delegated to speak on behalf of the party on non portfolio issues.

And we now see Trevor positioning himself to appeal to non-core Labour voters with his blog on this issue.

Now maybe it is all a coincidence, but is it possible that Trevor is planning some bbqs over summer?

Trevor was widely seen as a leadership contender along with Maharey un until a couple of years ago. Suddenly within a few weeks Trevor was out of the running for punching Tau Henare, and Maharey bailed to academia. Phil Goff suddenly became the heir apparent despite never being Clark’s choice.

Comments (52)

Patrick Starr

Angus

Remember, this is the same Trevor Mallard who fabricated stories about National party policy being formulated in Washington and being financed by a wealthy US bag man.

Remember, this is the same Trevor Mallard who taunted Don Brash with the Dianne Foreman remarks whilst sitting in Parliament.

Remember, this is the same Trevor Mallard who instigated a stoush with Tau Henare.

I repeat, the man is a disgrace to the NZ Parliament, his profession and his country. And this latest stuff is purely for political gain, he obviously said sweet fuck all when Margaret Wilson appointed this activist judge in the first place.

And remember, the community will most likely have to endure having this boorish, truculent and illdisciplined lout Mallard as Minister of Education again one day.

Adolf Fiinkensein

helmet

“So is Goff there just to give Trevor time to rehabilitate himself?”

F%$k I hope so, four more terms for the nats if it’s true!

Chances are pretty slim though. Even though the talent pool in labour is shallow, there’s better talent in there than Trev. I don’t doubt that he wants the leadership role very badly, in fact it’s cringeingly obvious most of the time, but he’s just not qualified for it, never will be. It’s simple, he makes too many mistakes; he simply isn’t intelligent enough. I feel a bit sorry for him because he sure as hell tries hard.

Cerium

XChequer

If it is true that Trev is positioning himself for a shot at the title then the National Party strategists must be rubbing their hands in glee! It would be all their Christmas’ come at once (and possibly a couple of birthdays as well).

Can’t see it happening myself. Andrew Little is too smart to let such a target rise to the top.

Tim Ellis

Remember also when Mr Carter got into hot water over his travel expenses last week, he said that the only people authorised by the party to speak about MPs expenses were the leader, the whip, and Mr Mallard.

I do wonder if there is a game being played by Mr Mallard over this issue. The attacks on the Maori party, and the suggestion that the people in this case got off lightly because they were Maori, suggests to me that the Labour Party have given up on the Maori vote, and they are trying to win back the socially conservative workingmen’s club voters.

It is interesting that there seems to be much more frequently hostile comments from Labour Party people about Mr Goff. I think Mr Goff has a lot of talent, and is very experienced and capable, but I can’t see him lasting more than a few months at this rate.

mike12

I think you are giving Labour far too much credit David – as much as I would love Trev the Muss to be their next leader its more likely they are simply going in different directions as they struggle to come to terms with on-going failure

Buggerlugs

Yesterday’s men; both Goff and Mallard will be discarded in due course in favour of the up and comers. Hipkins, Twyford, and Shearer are finding their feet and of course the Ginga is the annointed. Not sure about Little; he is very capable but uncharismatic; could be compared to Bill Rowling.

gravedodger

I for one agree with DPF’s analysis of the duck’s game plan. Hence the feigned contrition after the Henare rap etc. He has for some time seen” himself” as a leader of his rabble and if with his disastrous polling, Philin does get rolled he is probably the next best option for the government as his temper and his self opinion of ahis leadership skills it will be less than effective and as easy to work around as the present incumbent.

tvb

He is going for leadership all right – with a naked appeal to the blue collar vote which has bled away to National. The blue collar vote (which is now quite small) used to be Labour’s core vote. He is Muldoonist in appeal – remember those scaps Muldoon used to have. That’s our Trev.

John Ansell

Trevor’s first comments on Kiwiblog were the first public sign that he was planning a run for the leadership.

Most of his comments here have been reasonable enough, and seemed designed to build a bridge that would enable him to pitch himself as a more centrist Labour leader.

He wants to be able to say, “I’m the only one who can win back the blue collar workers who Helen drove into the arms of Key.”

From his point of view this makes sense.

Oh, and fabricating stories and being boorish and a disgrace to Parliament are hardly barriers to Labour leadership – those same ‘qualitites’ sustained the previous leader for 15 years.

I’ll say one thing for Trevor: at least he had the guts to close schools that were no longer viable – including his own. The National Populists, it seems, now have a policy of only closing schools whose communities demand that they be closed.

Ann Tolley’s statement, if accurate, surely represents a new low in political cowardice. What’s next – only jailing those who demand to be jailed? Only taxing those who demand to be taxed?

Put it away

Employment dispute for 3 years ? Feels “bullied” at work ? Who the hell would stay working at such a place ? Oh yeah, a 25-year government department jobsworth who’d never find employment in the real world.

This agent provacateur stuff is always great fund. But I think Mallard has done his time and taken his lumps. He is rehabilitated as far as I am concerned. Nobody’s perfect (except John Eales), so I don’t see what is wrong with him tilting for the leadership.

RichUncleSkeleton

I don’t think Mallard is setting himself up for leadership.

I think Little is the next leader, in fact it’s slightly worrying. After Labour were routed and Goff was named leader, I thought it was perfect from a National stand point, with Goff not being strong enough to truly lead I thought there would surely be messy leadership challenges that divided the party and left them weak for the next couple of elections.

However if they stay together, and Little is able to naturally come in when he’s ready after the next election, they have a couple of well known, relatively trusted experienced MP’s (Goff, Mallard, King) at the top of the party able to support Little, and they’ve got talent coming up (off the top of my head, Chauvel, Twyford, Grant Robertson, maybe Curran) so all they need to do is ditch the dead wood (Carter, Hodgson) and they’ll be in a position to present a very strong challenge in 2014.

Pascal

s.russell

I don’t think Mallard is stupid enough to be plotting to roll Goff. It would be like fighting over who gets first go with the self-disembowelling machine. Plotting to succeed Goff after 2011? That makes more sense. Labour’s leader for 2011 will be cannon fodder.

grumpy

Sam Buchanan

“the man is a disgrace to the NZ Parliament, his profession and his country”

That’s quite an accolade, and clearly makes him suitable for Labour leader, but I wouldn’t read much into Trev’s comments – he did the wacky “I am indigenous – I am from Wainuiomata” thing a while back.

Trevor Mallard

David tempted to just make a comments about penguins in the hot sun and leave it but better put it on your record, as I have for others over the years.

I’ve worked closely with all leaders of the Labour Party back to and including Bill Rowling. I know what it takes to be Prime Minister. A long time ago, when I was a whip, I worked out that I do not have the patience or tolerance to have a leadership role in a political party.

I am working closely with new members – I’ve had a bit of both +ve and -ve experience over the years and some of this very talented bunch check things out with me. And Darren has asked me to back him up in the House and act when he is away.

Phil

Right of way is Way of Right

Mr Mallard, if you truly want this to be a one term National government, you have got your work cut out for you. And your party WILL need a new leader. Those in your party with the best political acumen are unsuited to the leadership role, and this includes your current leader and deputy. It must be said that also includes yourself. Those best suited to the leadership have insufficient expereince to take the role on. One of your potentially best candidates is not even an MP, Andrew Little.

The chances of the Labour Party forming the next government are very remote, considering they have not yet managed to form an effective opposition! And that will remain the case until your party stops getting texts from New York, and actually get’s back to it’s foundation principles and stands up for the workers and the wealth generators of this country. You know, like Paula Bennett’s doing!

Patrick Starr

starboard

Trev..if you really think Goffs gona be PM in 2011 you are thicker than I thought..I mean really Trev , how can you even say that and keep a straight face…like I said before 1) who really gives a toss who leads Labour..they are irrelevant at this time and 2) you and the rest are old retreads….Labour really does need new fresh blood if its gona make a comeback..which I cant see happenning til after Nationals forth term.

Rex Widerstrom

Trevor Mallard notes:

A long time ago, when I was a whip, I worked out that I do not have the patience or tolerance to have a leadership role in a political party.

That’s a pity Trevor, I’d like to see you make a tilt for it (and I say that not in the reverse-psychological sense of some others above). Politics needs plain speakers who have a bit of life experience behind them and as we both know, there’s plenty of that to be had in Wainuiomata.

As for lack of patience and tolerance, I’m surprised you weren’t taking notes during the last nine years, but as it seems you weren’t, here’s an abridged tutorial:

– Appoint a Chief of Staff with a level of intolerance and an air of haughtiness in excess even of your own. Use him or her to frighten away any but the most supplicant of mendicants.

– Dismiss anyone who opposes you with an air of lofty intellectual superiority. If you can, do so in couplets so the phrasing is memorable [“haters and wreckers”, “cancerous and corrosive”] or use an analogy that’s likely to be equally as memorable [“last cab off the rank”].

– Generally act as though the people who voted for you are your subjects, not your employers – speed through through their peasant villages at 180km/h, that sort of thing.

– Refuse to meet with many groups who oppose what you’re doing and, when you do, patronise them. As a corollary, cultivate those who’ll unquestioningly accept your every whim, even if they demand in return that you look the other way while they accept questionable donations from key stakeholders in their own portfolios or shady overseas moneybags (just make sure you don’t get photographed with the same people – having a loyal footsoldier willing to throw himself between the target and the photographer comes in handy on such occasions).

– Don’t forget to manipulate candidate selections so that people who are most likely to toe your line are selected, often ahead of local preferences. And if needs be, make sure these people stay loyal while waiting for their turn at the trough by ensuring they get cushy taxpayer-funded jobs… something like doing “consultancy” for the Environment Ministry for instance. That way you gradually deter any internal opposition by a simple process of attrition.

CraigM

Jack5

Trevor Mallard, by frequenting Kiwiblog, shows he has the first flickerings of doubt, the first inkling that what he really, truly wants is to cross from the dark side to the rightist light, from the jaws of Hell-en to take up the Key of the Kingdom.

Just stand and cross the chamber Trevor. You can do it.

Admit the sins of your dark Clarkist past. All will be washed away. You will start afresh, a born-again child of the right.

thedavincimode

thedavincimode

Mallard, if you actually want any credibility or respect here, then front up on all of it: Peters, Glenn, banning free speech, thieving taxpayer money to pay for Labours campaign, the low rent smear campaigns, the tragic bully boy tactics over the waterfront stadium, the lies, the police and the public service spin campaign, Hawke’s Bay Health, the KFC campaign, the “last cab off the rank”, ACC, the train set, pissing all that money up against the wall and having nothing to show for it after the best economic conditions we’ve had in the last 100 years and on and on and on… The whole sorry disgusting business that represents a 9 nine low point in NZ politics by a country mile.

thedavincimode

starboard

..actually..have you seen the state of Mallard lately , I was watchin him on parliament tv today..very stressed looking losing weight..not very healthy at all..are you ok duck..anything you wana share with us ??

Delivery Boy

John Ansell

Although most Parliamentary advisors think it’s beneath the dignity of politicians to comment on blogs, I think they’re quite wrong.

I think it’s a clever way to bridge-build and neutralise bad feelings. So I commend Trevor Mallard for commenting here, and wish more MPs would do it.

Now, that’s got me thinking…

Imagine if all political debates were conducted in writing in a forum such as this. MPs could not afford to waffle. They’d have to take great care over what they wrote and make every word count, as those words would linger for all to analyse and compare.

Imagine the climate change debate conducted in such a fashion…

[DPF: I agree it is a good bridge builder and two way dialogue with MPs is of benefit to them]